The Saturday King
by cihojuda
Summary: A Secret Saturdays parody of Disney's The Lion King. -Two OCs used, one mentioned. Zak has kids. Character death. Indefinite hiatus.-
1. Chapter 1

**Warning: This is a parody.**

"Eh?" Tsul 'Kalu the baboon sat up. Grabbing his stick, he climbed up through the branches of his tree home and looked at the rising sun. His ears perked up as a silent call sounded through the pridelands. Tsul 'Kalu gave a raspy chuckle.  
"It is time!"  
Rhinos, zebras, hippos, and antelope were gathering at the base of Pride Rock. Inside, huddled together on a raised stone slab, was the royal lion family, admiring the newborn prince.  
Drew purred as she watched her grandson bat at his mother's tail. "Oh Zak, he's beautiful."  
"He's going to be a great king someday," Zak agreed proudly. Wadi rolled her eyes at her husband and nuzzled their cub gently.  
"Enough, little one. It's almost time."  
A shadow fell across the cub's face as his grandfather padded in, leading Tsul 'Kalu.  
"Everyone." Doc inclined his head.  
Tsul 'Kalu sat beside Wadi, broke open one of the gourds that hung from his stick, and painted a line of juice across the cub's forehead. The cub made a face. Chuckling, Tsul 'Kalu picked him up and put him on his shoulder. The lions followed him out onto the ledge. All the other animals bowed. Then, the elephants trumpeted as Tsul 'Kalu lifted the bewildered-looking cub above his head. The zebras, giraffes, and antelope pawed the ground. The noise filled the air around pride rock, but through it, Drew, Zak and Wadi could hear a low growling noise coming from the back of Doc's throat.  
At a questioning look from his wife, Doc just kept looking at Tsul 'Kalu and the cub. Drew rubbed her head against his shoulder and started purring too; harmonizing with him perfectly.  
Tsul 'Kalu brought the cub back to his parents. "Now you be good, little prince." He set the cub between Wadi's front paws and took a step back. The lions bowed to him. He picked up his stick, bowing back, and left.  
That night, Tsul 'Kalu smashed another gourd and painted with the juice on the wall of his tree, muttering to himself. Once done, he sat back. "Aha!" The baboon smiled. "Solomon."


	2. Chapter 2

"How pathetic." Francis slammed his paw down on a mouse.  
"I'm never going to be king, and you're never going to see the light of another day."  
He held the mouse above his head by its tail and looked at it with displeasure.  
"Oh well."  
"FRANCIS!"  
The mouse dropped from Francis's paw, ran across his chest, and disappeared into a crack in the wall. Francis turned. "Well, if it isn't the almighty king himself, descending from on high to see me. Today WAS the day Daddy stepped down from the throne, wasn't it? To what do I owe this honor?"  
Zak slowly circled his brother-in-law, a scowl pulling at the corners of his mouth. "We didn't see you at Solomon's presentation ceremony."  
"Dear me." Francis lay down and crossed his front paws. "Was that today too?" he asked mockingly, tapping his chin. "I've been so forgetful lately..."  
"You should have been the first in line to see him," Zak said grimly.  
"I was the first in line," Francis growled, standing and turning the other way. "Until that little hairball was born-"  
"That hairball is my son," Zak growled, "And your future king!"  
Francis scoffed. "I'll practice my curtsy."  
Zak roared, lunging at Francis and pinning him to the wall. "You're lucky we didn't throw you off Pride Rock when Bex died!"  
"Too late now," Francis said darkly, narrowing his eyes. "I'm still _Prince_ Francis, if I remember correctly, and you can't change the past, _brother._"  
"You are no brother of mine." Zak pushed him against the wall harder.  
"Temper temper," Francis smirked. Zak let him go and he started to slink out of the room. "You'd better remember not to let that get the better of you, Zak. Bad things have been known to happen to people like you."  
"Was that a threat?" came a deeper voice from the doorway.  
"Oh, no, sire." Francis smiled silkily at Doc. "Just playing a little game with my favorite brother-in-law, you know how it is." Doc gave him no expression in response.  
Zak joined Doc in the entrance to Francis's cave as the green lion left. "I still don't trust him."  
Doc shook his head. "Rest her soul, what was your sister thinking?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Eight Years Later**

Muttering to himself, Tsul 'Kalu scooped some pulp from a gourd and smeared it onto the wall of his tree. Then, as if someone had tapped him on the shoulder and told him to, he turned to look at the painting of Solomon.  
"Hmph." The baboon dipped his fingers back into the gourd. "Hm-hm-hm." He painted a short, rough mane around the young lion's head. "Ah!" Tsul 'Kalu smiled again. "Solomon!"

Solomon sat eagerly near the edge of the ledge on Pride Rock, watching eagerly as the sun rose. Drew sat by the mouth of the cave, watching Solomon.  
"How come you're up this early, but Dad and Grandpa aren't?" Solomon asked, scampering back and forth impatiently.  
"They're just no fun," Drew said. She looked out over the pridelands. "It looks like the sun's above the-"  
"DAD! GRANDPA! The suns's up! The sun's up!" Solomon ran inside.  
Drew lunged after him. "Wait, I never said you could-"  
"Dad! Dad! Come on, Dad!" Solomon pulled on his father's ear.  
Zak groaned. "Your son is awake..."  
"He's your son before the sun is over the watering hole," Wadi said, covering her face with her paw.  
Solomon ran over and started to attack Doc. "Grandpa! Let's go! This is gonna be great!" he said with a mouthful of Doc's mane.  
Zak took Solomon by the scruff of the neck. "Leave your grandpa alone," he warned, carrying Solomon outside. "If he wants to sleepthrough this, it's his choice."  
"But he promised!" Solomon whined.  
"So you'd rather spend the day with him than me?" Zak said, looking a little offended.  
Drew shot them a sideways look. "Go with your dad," she said, pushing Solomon towards Zak with her nose. "I'll send him along when he wakes up."  
"Thanks Grandma!" Solomon chirped. Zak led him up a ridge near the mouth of the cave.

~~  
The top of Pride Rock was bathed in golden dawn light. "Wow," Solomon breathed.  
Zak sat at the edge of the rock. "Look around, son. Everything the light touches is our kingdom."  
"Wow." Solomon sat beside him.  
Zak continued: "A king's time as ruler rises and falls like the sun. Someday, the sun is going to set on my time, and rise on yours."  
"Does that mean you die?"  
"Maybe." Zak seemed unphased by the question. "I'm the king right now, and my father is alive. But no matter what happens, if I die or not, someday, all of this is going to be yours."  
"Everything the light touches will be mine..." Solomon said thoughtfully, looking around. "But what about that big shadow over there?"  
Zak's head swiveled around. "No. That's beyond the prideland borders. I don't want you going anywhere near there, understand?"  
"I thought kings could do anything!"  
"There's more to being king than getting what you want," Zak laughed, licking Solomon's fur the wrong way.  
"More?" Solomon asked as he tried to fix his fur.  
"I'll show you," Zak said. He started back down the ridge. "Follow me."


End file.
